1. Field
Apparatuses and methods consistent with exemplary embodiments relate to image encoding and decoding, and more particularly, to the efficient determination of sizes of coding units to be used to determine an intra prediction mode.
2. Description of the Related Art
In image compression schemes, such as moving picture expert group (MPEG)-1, MPEG-2, MPEG-4, and H.264/MPEG-4 advanced video coding (AVC), one picture is split into macroblocks to encode an image. Thereafter, each of the macroblocks is encoded in plural encoding modes usable in inter prediction and intra prediction, and is encoded by selecting one encoding mode according to a bit rate used to encode the macroblock and to a degree of distortion between the original macroblock and a decoded macroblock.
The development and distribution of hardware capable of playing and storing high-resolution or high-image quality video content has caused an increase in the demand for a video codec that effectively encodes or decodes the high-resolution or high-image quality video content. According to the related art video codec, a video is encoded in limited prediction modes based on macroblocks having predetermined sizes.